Announcing the 2011 TRUSTe Transparency Report

Today we’re releasing an important document about our company – the 2011 TRUSTe Transparency Report. This is the first time we’ve released such extensive data to the public and we are committed to publishing it on a yearly basis going forward. It provides an overview of our certifications and technology developments in the past year, as well as an in-depth summary and analysis of the thousands of consumer privacy disputes we processed on behalf of our clients.

As a company TRUSTe has committed to bringing transparency, accountability, and user choice to online platforms where personal data is collected and used. People sometimes ask us: “what’s behind the seal?” Our green privacy seal may be the most ubiquitous and visible footprint of our brand (seen on thousands of online platforms around the world), but it’s really only the tip of the iceberg of what we do as a company. Behind every seal stands a rigorous certification process, backed by deep technology scans, expert insight and stringent program requirements. We maintain certification quality through ongoing monitoring, by processing consumer privacy disputes, and through annual, mandatory re-certifications. One of the many attributes that make our certifications unique is the privacy dispute resolution services that we offer on behalf of our clients as a free service for consumers. In 2011 we successfully resolved over 8,000 consumer disputes, ensuring that their voices were heard and their privacy issues were resolved.

By issuing this report we aim to achieve greater transparency and accountability as a company, illuminating the processes and procedures that form the backbone of our privacy technologies and certifications. We recognize that some of these processes are not readily apparent and can lead to confusion and misunderstanding in the marketplace. What happens if a company violates our certification requirements? How often does that happen? What kinds of privacy disputes does TRUSTe process? How do we resolve them? We answer these questions and more in the 2011 TRUSTe Transparency Report and we encourage you to check it out.